DR_WB_WBPillar

Strategic Priority of Well-Being

“Improving student achievement and student engagement is directly linked to ensuring that we work collaboratively and in a purposefullyintegrated way for the social, emotional, mental and physical well-being of all children and youth.”Ontario Public School Board’s Association

During their strategic planning process, the ADSB identified Well-Being as one of three Strategic Priorities for the Board and determined the following priorities:

•Sustain and enhance learning and working environments that are safe and caring for all.

•Support the mental health of our children and youth through school-based resources and programs that are well coordinated and aligned within our system and with our community partners.

• Build capacity of all staff in their roles to increase skills, job satisfaction, leadership competencies and well-being.

Some of the planning that has taken place currently around Well-Being has focused on 5 key areas:

1.character education

2.safe and caring school communities

3.mental health and well-being

4.equity and inclusive education

5. healthy and active living

The Board has established a Well-Being Team made up of representatives from each of the five key areas who will be working together to develop a strategy to support/align and move forward with this strategic priority of the Board.There are many wonderful initiatives already underway in ADSB including but not limited to:

•Daily physical activity in all elementary classrooms

•Healthy food and beverage policy and implementation

•Character Education

•Project ABCD (Action for Building a Community that is Drug Free)

•Community partnerships and protocols in place to support mental health andwell-being, the Algoma Model

•Aboriginal initiatives and supports

•Work with the local immigration partnership to support new comers

•Student Senate Leadership and Student Voice Projects

•Restorative Justice

•Al’s Pals Resiliency Program

•Pink Shirt Day in support of our work around anti-bullying

•RespectEd training for all staff

There are many other well-being practices going on in our Board and schools and this focus is in line with the Ministry of Education who has also added well-being as one of its 4 goals in the recently released Achieving Excellence – A Renewed Vision for Education in Ontario.